Motoring reporter
Pupkewitz Motor Division announced with pride new appointments at management level, following an internal management development programme, namely the Pupkewitz Motor Division Cadet programme, which was launched last year.
This programme involves a vigorous curriculum training candidates in all the various departments involving a motor dealership, from HR, parts, sales, after-sales/ service, administration and marketing. These candidates are selected after intense interviews and psychometric profiling.
Pupkewitz Motor Division will be taking the second round of candidates through the training process as from June 2014 and by doing this, promoting their own employees and also addressing the skills shortages within the motor industry.
The person who gave rise to the cadet programme is Kornelius Lukas, who joinedPupkewitz Motor Division in June 2010 as a trainee Dealer Principal, Kornelius Lukas was promoted to Dealer Principal in 2011 at Pupkewitz Toyota Rundu.
Ekkerd van Wyk, (Managing Director of Pupkewitz Motor Division) said that Kornelius is one of the best Dealer Principals the company has had, and certainly the best Dealer Principal we had at the Rundu branch in many years. He started his technical career in January 1994 with an apprenticeship at Von Bach Dam Training Centre after graduating from the College of Cape Town with an Engineering Technician Diploma.
In 1995 he started as a Vocational Instructor at the Ministry of Education and quickly climbed through the ranks to Control artisan in 2008 at Government Garage, and joined the Pupkewitz Group in 2010. Kornelius firmly believes in customer satisfaction and aims to promote the high standards of the Pupkewitz Brand name in the Northern regions.
Ankia Greeff, was appointed as Branch Manager, Pupkewitz Motors Swakopmund after joining the Pupkewitz Motor Division as Personal Assistant to the Divisional General Manager in 2003.
Jean – Francois Gahutu, newly appointed Branch Manager at Pupkewitz Motors Ondangwa, joined Pupkewitz Motor Division on 1st April 2014 after almost two years at Pupkewitz MegaTech as Head of Marketing and Specialist Projects. He holds a Diploma in Marketing Management and is currently enrolled to complete his MSC in Marketing Management. He has international work experience specialising in ICT and retail. He returned to Namibia and resumed his career in marketing.
Speaking of his future Jean Francois said he is extremely excited to join the motor industry and is eager to take the Pupkewitz Motors Ondangwa Branch from Good to GREAT!
Jaun Nel recently appointed as Dealer Principal, Pupkewitz Nissan Walvis Bay and Pupkewitz GWM joined Pupkewitz Motor Division after a career in sales in the retail industry. Jaun has proved himself a willing candidate with excellent managerial capabilities whilst working at Pupkewitz Honda in sales. He was appointed as Branch Manager at Pupkewitz Motors Swakopmund and under the mentorship of Ekkerd van Wyk has grown into a highly capable and trustworthy Branch Manager.
He has taken on the challenge as Dealer Principal of the two Walvis Bay branches and wants to expand the footprint of the products under his wing.